Cameras help cut paramedic assaults

Body cameras are helping reduce the number of assaults on paramedics after more than 1,400 incidents over the past two years in the North East.

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said they had 1,413 reports of assaults on staff over the past two financial years, which includes verbal and physical offences.

Ambulance chiefs said they encourage staff to report everything which could be classed as abuse or assault, and while verbal abuse is the most common complaint, 10% of reported incidents did result in an injury.

Alan Gallagher, head of risk and regulatory services at NEAS, said staff have praised the use of body worn cameras in helping to tackle issues after they were brought in on a pilot in October 2018.

He said just the appearance of the cameras is acting as a deterrent.

He said: “It is an increasing problem for not only the ambulance service but the health sector in general, violence and aggression and violent crime.

“It’s not the night time economy and the high streets where these assaults are happening, it’s actually happening in people’s homes.

“In years gone by staff have said ‘it’s just part of the job, nothing is going to change and I don’t really mind’ but we cannot accept that and we should not accept that for our staff.

“What we find is the sheer presence of body worn video is deterring and that’s the primary aim for us to prevent assaults against staff.”

The NEAS was the first in the country to trial the cameras in a scheme launched in October 2018, in areas including Sunderland, around Pallion.